How to Clean Oil Off Undercarriage
If you’ve ever driven a car through a rainstorm, you know the icky feeling of having dirty, greasy water splash up on your undercarriage. It is gross, but it can also be harmful to your car if not cleaned off properly.
In this blog post, we’ll teach you how to clean oil off undercarriage using just a few simple tools and supplies. We’ll also discuss why keeping your car’s undercarriage clean is essential. Read on for more information!
10 Effective Ways on How To Clean Oil Off Undercarriage
1. Invest in a Pressure Washer:
Pressure washers can help get rid of oil and other grime caked onto the undercarriage. They work by spraying a high-pressure jet of water on your car, which will rinse old layers of oil off instantly. They usually run between $150 and $300 at hardware stores across the county.
2. Use Dish Soap and a Toothbrush:
To clean oil stains, mix dish soap with water and put it in a spray bottle. Apply the soap mixture to the stains and scrub vigorously using a toothbrush. You can also mix baking soda or laundry detergent with vinegar for added degreasing effects.
3. Use Hydrogen Peroxide:
Looking to degrease your undercarriage on the cheap? One of the most accessible ways to do so is by using hydrogen peroxide. Simply spray it on, allow the bubbles to sit for a couple of minutes, and then scrub clean with a toothbrush. If hydrogen peroxide is not available, you can use bleach instead. Just mix water with bleach to create a 50/50 solution and apply it onto the oil stains.
4. Use Wd-40 to Dissolve Grease:
WD-40 is inexpensive, easily accessible, and works great for dissolving oil stains. The only downside is that it may leave a residue that needs to be wiped off later. So make sure to wipe off the WD-40 once you are done with scrubbing.
5. Use Baking Soda:
This method is for cleaning your car’s undercarriage. First, cover the car in plastic to avoid getting any baking soda on your paint. Then, dust off excess baking soda when finished scrubbing. Finally, wash with soapy water to avoid staining of your undercarriage.
6. Use a Dish Scrubber:
Dish scrubbers are designed to remove tough, baked-on particles from dishes and cookware. They will work well on your car’s undercarriage as well! Use it with soap and water to make an abrasive paste that is perfect for removing oil stains from your undercarriage.
7. Use a Rubber Glove:
If you are going to clean your car’s undercarriage, it is a good idea to wear rubber gloves. That way, your hands will be protected from the grease and other harmful chemicals that can be found there. You can scrape off as much oil as you want using the bottom of the rubber glove, and then scrub it off with a toothbrush.
8. Hose it Off:
If you can’t scrape off the oil or grease stains on your undercarriage because they are baked onto, try using a water hose instead. This will help blast away most of the oil and make it easier to clean with other methods.
9. Clean Undercarriage in Garage:
You can use basic tools such as an orbital sander, impact wrench, or even an old toothbrush to clean the undercarriage of your car in the garage. However, make sure not to use these tools on painted surfaces as they can damage them.
10. Use Stain Remover Products:
There are several different brands of stain remover products out on the market that effectively get rid of oil stains. They’re usually made with surfactants, solvents, and wetting agents to remove greasy residues quickly. Read the instructions on the back of the product before applying.
Tips to Prevent Oil Stains on Undercarriage
1. Maintain proper oil levels in your car.
2. Keep the oil cap on after refilling.
3. Make sure the bottom of your car is clean when parking it in the garage or driveway.
4. Try not to park in low areas that might pick up dirt filled with oil deposits, such as construction sites or gas station driveways.
5. If oil stains are already present on the driveway, clean them with an engine degreaser or bleach and water before they dry up.
6. Park on dirt or grass instead of concrete or asphalt.
Cleaning the Engine Compartment and Undercarriage
1. Engine Compartment:
Start by looking at the outside bottom of your car to find the drain plugs and oil pan gaskets. See if they have mud or dirt on them or are missing because if this is the case, you will have a huge mess going into your engine because you don’t know how good your gaskets are sealing up. Many people never do this step, but it’s one of the reasons why the car leaks so much oil.
2. Dress Up that Engine and Compartment:
You can go to any auto parts store and get the clean-up starter kits with engine degreaser, soap, etc. You want to take an old toothbrush or brush you find at home, dip it in the degreaser, scrub all the dirt off your engine with some water. Then mix your soap with some water and clean your engine with this mixture.
Now it may be difficult to get in all the nooks and crannies of your engine, so you can use a small soft brush or rag if needed. If you go to an auto parts store, they also sell stuff that will help dry up water spots on your engine after washing it, so ask for this if you need it.
3. Clean Your Car’s Undercarriage:
Now it is time to clean the undercarriage of your car. To do this, you want to use a pressure washer or at least a high-pressure hose and spray down all the dirt, mud, and oil accumulated on the bottom of your car. Then do the same thing you did to your engine with the soap mixture and brush.
4. Check for Oil Leaks:
After you are finished cleaning under your car, take a newspaper or whatever is laying around to see if there are any oil spots on it. By this step, hopefully, you should have found all your leaks because all the oil that would have been getting into your engine is now on the ground.
If you haven’t found all of them yet, spray a little water with some soap mixture into the suspected area and see if it bubbles up, this will tell you that there is oil in that area, making it likely to be a leak.
Why Having an Oil Stain-Free Undercarriage is Important
The biggest reason you should always keep your car’s undercarriage clean is that having oil stains can cause problems with your vehicle’s undercarriage. This is because the rubber components, including hoses and gaskets, will eventually harden and crack when exposed to oil over time.
When the undercarriage is dirty and has oil stains, it makes tracking down fluid leaks difficult due to contaminant masking. This can be a problem while inspecting for signs of corrosion or determining if there’s a fluid leak in your car’s engine bay.
What Can I Use to Clean Oil Off Undercarriage
You can easily clean off oil stains from under your car’s undercarriage. The products you will need are a degreaser, water, and a stiff brush. If you don’t have access to any of these, then the next thing that could work in place of them is potato peels. Pour about half of the degreasing solution onto the oil stains slowly and steadily. You don’t want to make a puddle of degreaser under your car’s undercarriage.
Use the brush to scrub off the oil stains with firm pressure. Next, pour water onto the same area where you previously applied the degreaser slowly and steadily to flush out the residue of your degreasing agent. Always make sure that you’re flushing away from any electrical components such as brake lines that could get damaged from the flushing process.
You Can Check It Out to: Flush Cooling System With Garden Hose
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s not as difficult as one might think to clean oil off your vehicle’s undercarriage. With a little bit of time and effort, even those who are mechanically challenged should be able to do this job on their own without too much trouble.
When using a degreaser, wear protective gloves and safety goggles. Also, avoid getting the chemicals on your skin as it will likely irritate you. We hope this blog post on how to clean oil off undercarriage has been helpful. If you have any questions or concerns about what specific products are right for your situation, please contact us today!
Louis Wein
Louis has always been fascinated by cars. He loves the way they look, the sound of the engine, and how they make him feel when he's driving. He is always keen to learn more about different mechanics of cars and how the engine contributes to other aspects of the car. As an automotive technician with over 10 years of experience, he knew how they worked and loved taking them apart to see how they went back together. He was especially interested in the mechanics of combustion engines and loved finding ways to make them more efficient. He loves to work on cars and help people keep their vehicles running smoothly. As a senior editor, he enjoys contributing to Diy quickly because it allows him to share his knowledge and expertise with others.
